Possession
by Zandrellia
Summary: Time has been altered and when Kagome returns home she finds the shocking results to be more than she can handle. Possessions are merely items, property that one claims as their own so what happens when your property happens to be a youkai?
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One: The Death of Time

Perhaps it would have been a good idea to listen to the man when he said that he was important to the area's political structure. Had Kagome really bothered she might have found him in her history books, listed among other noted political figures of the time. It never would have given away what exactly he had done for the future, but just seeing his name in there could have sent warning bells off for her.

Instead, they were standing over his dead body. He was rather old, really, there wasn't a whole lot they could have done she supposed. The shock of the attack from the youkai had sent him into cardiac arrest and there he lay, cold and unmoving; a heart attack. Miroku sighed from his work next to InuYasha, they were digging another grave. He had lost count of how many they had dug in the past; it never seemed to end anymore.

Sango looked to her miko friend with a worried expression; this particular death had seemed to bother her quite a bit. "Kagome? Perhaps you should go home. You look very tired and we haven't had any luck with jewel shards for the past three days, getting a little rest might help in more ways than one."

Everyone was surprised when InuYasha agreed. "Yeah, you look beat. When we've finished burying this guy I'll take you home. No arguing. But I'll come back for you in three days; we can't laze around all week." Kagome beamed at him, he was being so sweet! How unusual.

Two hours later she was riding upon his back, his silvery hair whipping into her face, on her way home. Home, it would be so nice to be back. She could almost taste her mother's oden or hear her grandfather's stories. Absently she wondered what day it was. It had been weeks since she had gone home; she hadn't even read the calendar to see if it were a Monday or a Tuesday.

She smiled and snuggled further into InuYasha's back. It didn't really matter, did it? She couldn't have been gone from home that long. Besides, everything was always the same when she returned, no matter how far apart. That was one of the greatest things about home.

InuYasha set down outside the well and helped her to stand. "Kagome, I know it's been a while since you went back and I'm sorry if you've been angry with us for that. We kind of forgot time and then when we realized when it was we decided to send you home as soon as possible. So, anyway, tell your family that we're sorry." She was already climbing into the well as he was speaking and she turned to smile at him, telling him that it was okay.

Then, as she fell down into the blue magic she heard him say the last bit of information that she expected to hear. "Have a happy birthday, Kagome!" What! Had it been that long already? Was that possible? Before she could question him her backside crushed against the ground and she groaned, standing within the dark well-house.

"Home again, home again." Her fingers searched, grasping around for the familiar rungs of the ladder she knew was there. No. Not there. Hmm, not there either. Where was it? Her hands were running around the walls of the well, searching for anything. But then she noticed something. Standing still she listened. Water, the faint echo of a dripping noise surrounded her and she shakily reached down. It wasn't a lot of water, only damp, barely enough to make it muddy but it was there without a doubt. The well was not dry anymore and her ladder was missing.

"What's going on here?" Her voice echoed through the well-house until she heard a sound, scraping, then the slide of a latch and a creaky door opening. Dusty light streamed into the area and somebody entered the building.

"Kagome? How did you get in here?" Sota, it was her little brother, he had come for her! She lifted her pack onto her shoulders and smiled.

Raising a hand to wave at him she laughed. "Sota! Lower the ladder! This wasn't a very funny joke, you know!" He gave her an odd look and walked away, coming back a few minutes later with the ladder and lowering it for her.

She jumped out and grasped him, pulling him into a hug that he fought to get out of. "Kagome! You're dirty!" Laughing again she let him go and smiled, it must be his age, most boys got conscious of that stuff around his age, right? Turning to him she smiled down at him and followed him out of the well house, noticing that he went to lock the door again.

"Have you guys taken to locking the door while I'm away now?" She asked with a worried tone, why were they locking the well-house while she was on the inside? Sota looked at her with a confused expression and shook his head at her.

"I don't know what you mean, Kagome, we've always locked it. You weren't even supposed to be in there." He walked off, towards the back entry of the house, but she didn't follow. She stood, still and shocked. What happened?

Running up to the house she noticed small changes in her home. Nothing extremely unusual but just, changes; a piece of furniture moved, a plant in full bloom, one of her mother's crocheted blankets that she couldn't remember her mother making. Little things that sent a chill down her spine. Her mother came into view and she ran up to hug her. "Momma! I missed you!"

Her mother laughed and hugged her back. "Why Kagome, you only went out ten minutes ago! Why aren't you at school today?" Now Kagome knew something was really wrong. What had happened to her home? Had her family simply forgot?

She looked up at her mother curiously and the elder woman frowned, placing the back of her hand on her child's forehead. "No fever. Are you sure you're feeling well, Kagome?" The girl shook her head, slowly, no. She was not sure of anything, anymore.

The elder woman sighed and led her upstairs. "Well, set you pack down and I'll take you somewhere. I purchased this as a surprise for tonight but since you'll probably not be well enough later we might as well go now. It could even help take care of you!"

Kagome nodded, as if she understood what the woman who looked like her mother meant, and set the pack down in her room. It looked like her room, sort of. Again with the small changes; what had happened on this side?

Confused, Kagome followed her mother to the car and sat, watching the familiar but strange scenery go by. Instead of being bothered by it she chose to sleep, sleep would help clear her mind and maybe this would all have been a bad dream. Thirty minutes and they came to a stop at a red light.

Kagome woke slightly and saw that her mother was positively beaming. "I saved up so much money for this, Kagome. Something told me that this was the perfect gift for you. You're turning 17, nearly a woman now, and you needed something like this to help with that transition. After all, I'm not going to be around forever, you know. But this, this will, for you and your children and theirs and so you will never be alone."

Rubbing her eyes with her fingertips Kagome couldn't help but groan a little. Sleeping in the car was bad enough but waking to this woman's ramblings was horrible. She had no idea what was going on or what she was talking about. Her throat felt dry and she sighed, swallowing before speaking. "Are we almost there yet?"

Her mother nodded in an excited fashion and a few moments later they pulled into a parking space. Kagome followed her mother inside, not even bothering to look around, this place was way too confusing. They walked up to a desk and Kagome's mother smiled at the clerk. "Higurashi. We have a reservation for today."

The woman nodded and she came around the desk, in her hand was a set of color coded keys. "Miss. Higurashi? Will you or your daughter be choosing?" Her mother held out her hand to indicate that Kagome would choose and the clerk smiled. "All right, Kagome, is it?"

Kagome nodded to the woman, unsure what was going on. What was she choosing? She smiled at the woman, hoping she could give her answers. Instead the woman opened a door with one of the keys and held it open for them to enter. What she would see inside would break her heart.

It looked like a pound or a low-level security prison, Kagome wasn't sure which one described it more accurately. As she followed her mother and the woman she looked inside the cells. Several of the first ones were empty, however when she came to the first she stopped, gaped and inhaled sharply.

"Youkai?" Kagome's mother went up to her and smiled, nodding in excitement. The woman then looked in towards the little neko youkai inside and frowned, shaking her head. This one wouldn't do, apparently. The little creature reminded Kagome so much of Kirara.

Kagome felt her hand being grasped and looked up to her mother, only to be lead away and through another set of doors. Out of her side vision Kagome could see varying levels of youkai, growing from small household pet sizes to large gargantuan elephant size. Some showed a medium of intelligence but most were your average beasts. Inside her mind she could hear herself screaming for answers, but no words escaped her lips.

They had gone through two more hallways and the woman was on the last key. "This is our premium ward. Many of these youkai have superior intelligence, speed, strength, and endurance. Since you've already made a maximum down-payment you can choose any one you'd like but I would highly recommend looking through this ward first. Our best are in here."

Kagome's mother nodded and led her through the doorway, they walked down the halls and the girl would stop, gasping as she saw the figures in the rooms. This one looked like Ayame or Koga. Maybe both, a wolf, most definitely and female but she looked broken and without the pride that the wolf clan held so dearly. Moving on; she saw a toad, it looked to be similar to Jaken but more advanced in evolution. The last set of cells, this one was empty. Kagome sighed and turned to look in the one across only to find her world go black.

"Oh my! Kagome!" Her mother's voice rang out as she felt her body hit the concrete floor. She had fainted.

A few moments later Kagome woke to the face of her mother. Oh thank God. It was all a dream! Then she sat up, rubbing her head slowly to try and release the pain. "So have you made your choice, yet?" A voice came to her, someone she didn't know. Choice? No, that was a dream.

Kagome looked up into the cell across from her. Into the amber eyes that glared at her. This was no dream. "Sesshomaru." 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Shadows in Time

Kagome sat in the car, staring back in the vanity mirror in her visor at the passenger behind her. He looked so out of place and so surreal. She wanted to ask him what had happened, if anyone knew he would, but somehow she felt it was not the time or place. He seemed to be staring out the window, watching the scenery go by with an apathetic look.

Strange, but that look on his face showed her in more ways than one that he had an advantage over her in this situation. He knew when and where he was while she remained clueless. Taking the time to look at him more closely she was a little surprised.

In the past she had never given him two glances. He was the brother of InuYasha by blood on their father's side only and he was the lord of the western territories. He was an inu youkai who harbored hatred for humans yet kept a human child as his ward. He had long silver hair, golden amber eyes, and liked to wear white. He kept two swords, Tenseiga, a healing gift from his father, and Tokijin, a powerful fang blade created from the spawn of Naraku. He chased after Tetsuigia with his toady retainer Jaken. That was all she knew of him.

But now, staring at his face she noticed some things that had never seemed to matter before. He looked young, late twenties or early thirties, but his face was not flawless as it might appear from a distance. There were slight folds and lines from years of frowns, grimaces, and growls that escaped those lips. Those lips, they were thin and hard, firm and worn. His nose appeared to be slightly snubbed, as she supposed was normal for an inu species, and was a very faint pink tint. His eyes curled up in elegant swoops across his face, like shutters to windows into forever the secrets they held within clung tight and kept for they alone.

Sesshomaru turned to look at her and she shuddered, adverting her gaze quickly. That was one power he hadn't seemed to have lost yet. Rubbing her temples with her hand she suddenly remembered something and looked up, but couldn't see it in the mirror so she turned, fully facing him now. So it was true! He had both arms again. Amazing. He glared at her and growled low, seemingly irritated at her. Kagome's mother heard the growl and frowned, staring back at him in the rear-view mirror. "Now, now, mister there will be none of that! You know as well as I do that we can subdue you in an instant so don't get cocky with my little girl."

Kagome's eyes went wide. Subdue? That was how they did this? Oh my god. It was so strange and so wrong! She looked over at Sesshomaru with an apologizing gaze but he was looking out the window again, ignoring her and her mother. She felt so sorry for him. He was such a proud youkai, so strong and intelligent when it came to the measure she had in comparison to others, and yet he was bound and chained like the rest of them.

Had the world just gone mad since her last visit? No. That didn't make sense. Well, none of this made sense. She sighed and something finally dawned on her. She now owned Sesshomaru. How had fate caused this ironic twist? Well, she wasn't about to have a slave, that was for sure. She would treat him with dignity and respect. He deserved it by now, certainly.

When they got to Kagome's home her mother left them, going up the stairs and into the house, expecting them to follow. Sesshomaru turned to look at her with a bored expression. "Since when did you start allowing your facial expressions to show?" She asked in curiosity only then remembering that he probably didn't remember her at all.

He raised an eyebrow slowly but merely looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to hers. "Since I was bound like a common pack animal. There was no need to keep my hatred hidden anymore, after all." She sighed and nodded, that was true. Then she remembered something and bowed low to him.

"I know that you are not the lord of the western lands by now and that, in all ideas, you are my property but I would rather it not be that way. I don't really know what is going on here." He didn't seem surprised by her ignorance and merely "hmmed" under his breath. She looked at him carefully and then took his hand in hers, afraid but still comforted by his presence.

His expression turned to amused as she dragged his taller frame up the stairs and into her home, taking him directly to her room. Nobody who had ever had him in their service had treated him like this. She was truly an enigma. "Your name, Kagome, is it not?"

She stopped, surprised and turned to him quickly, a misty look on her face as if she were remembering something. "Yes. It is. Kagome Higurashi." She blushed when she noticed that they were in a rather awkward silence and then turned to look about the room, noticing how subtly different it was to her own. "Well, this is my room and I guess you'll be staying here. Eh, would you like a bath and a fresh change of clothes?"

Both eyebrows rose at that and his gaze turned shocked. "You do not need to concern over my welfare, I am capable." She smirked and shook her head slightly, taking his hand once more and entering the bathroom, Sesshomaru in tow.

"I know perfectly well what you're capable of, Sesshomaru. Don't get so defensive. I want you to be clean and at least remotely content. I don't intend to let somebody else abuse you ever again." He watched as she went to run the water, testing the temperature and then pouring in a couple salts and oils. He heard her say something under her breath that sounded like "At least not until I can fix this whole mess."

Then he saw something strange, something trailing down her face as she sat next to the tub and watched the water fill. She was crying. Why was she crying? Had she been hurt? Reaching out with his hand he brushed the tear away but quickly drew back when she stiffened at his touch. She was afraid of him, horribly afraid, why?

"Kagome" That seemed to make it worse, what was wrong with her? "Are you afraid of something?" His question seemed to hit her hard and she began to cry fully, unable to stop herself.

She looked up in his face, that slightly familiar and unchanging face that was the only thing in this world which seemed so real, and frowned. "Sesshomaru, something terrible has happened and I'm not sure how to fix it." He looked confused and she turned the water off, standing and rubbing her eyes dry. "Bathe first, then I'll tell you everything, okay?"

He nodded and she left him in the room, going into her own and laying on her bed. For a moment he just sat there next to the tub and watched her. Then he stood, closing the door to the bathroom so that he would not hurt any human modesty.

Kagome watched as the door closed and sighed, throwing an arm over her head in a haphazard manner. What was she going to tell him? The truth, maybe, he would probably be the only old enough creature with intelligence to know what she was talking about. She shifted on her bed, turning onto her stomach, and looked around for anything that might give her clues as to what was happening to her.

It was sitting on her dresser. As if to mock her saying "the answers have been right here all this time and you're running around like an idiot!" and she scowled at it. Reaching out she grasped the book and turned it to her, it looked so familiar but not quite the same; her history book. With a sigh of renewed determination she cracked the cover open and scanned through the table of contents. Most of the early history was pretty familiar sounding so she skipped those parts.

Then she came across a section, subsection really, simply titled "The Youkai Inquisition", page 138. She flipped through the pages and landed on the sought after page, looking at the opening picture. The image was sepia, drawn several hundred years ago, and depicted a boar youkai being shot in front of a firing squad. How grotesque.

Tearing her eyes from the picture she began to read. After four paragraphs something caught her attention, something that made her inhale sharply in surprise. That man, he was listed here; he had been an advocate for the separation of youkai and human civilizations. According to the text, he was gaining major favor in the political circles around the area of Kyoto. Several daimyo had already begun to hear him out and were agreeing to sign a treaty which would keep their focus away from the youkai. However, in an ironic twist of fate, the advocate had been snatched up by a vicious demon and died.

Kagome groaned and smacked the book against her head before continuing to read. After the attack on the advocate his word died down, he had no apprentice and nobody to support his cause, so the daimyo eventually changed their minds. A few more years would go by until the attacks on the people and beasts under the ownership of the daimyo would drive them to call an all out war upon the youkai.

Several specific youkai clans were hunted over others, as they were viewed to be most powerful. The wolf clan was sought out first, destroying their numbers and diminishing their forces created a sense of unrest and fear within the youkai societies. Their own lords responded in kind, specifically the lord of the wolf clan.. oh Koga, Kagome thought as she imagined the wolf girl back in the cell.. and the lord of the dog clan.. Sesshomaru? Now she was really interested. It went on saying how the wolf lord had died; crying out a woman's name into the distance; but the dog lord had not been found. He fought from the shadows, only killing those who were truly creating danger and protecting small women and children, even humans, from the warpath. The book continued to say that it was believe that due to an unknown artifact that the dog lord carried he could never be killed.

Kagome shook her head in disbelief. She didn't hear the door to the bathroom open or see him enter the room and sit on the floor, next to her. She kept reading, wanting to know what had happened, and he watched her curious look with a sense of humor. He knew who she was, he just decided not to tell her, but he found it funny that she had not remembered any of the past history. Humans, of anything, had a certain skill at keeping their history close to them.

He watched her face as she read, shocked, disgusted, appalled, and sorry. So many emotions danced across her face and he had to wonder why she cared. Had she not killed many youkai before, herself? Why was she so empathetic? She finished the chapter and closed the book as she closed her eyes, breathing unsteady. "It wasn't as bad as they make it out to be."

She jumped at his voice and opened her eyes to see him sitting before her in a bathrobe. Oh, no, she had forgotten to give him clothes and now that she thought about it she really didn't have much for him. When she went back to the past she would have to get some proper clothes made for him. If she could go back, a frown marred her face at that though and then she went on to think of what he had said. It wasn't that bad, he said. Well, this was Sesshomaru, getting your arm amputated wasn't that bad either, right? Rolling her eyes at this thought she sighed and smiled down on him. "Feel better?"

Sesshomaru nodded once and then looked back at her, silently asking why she was avoiding the subject. She sighed and fidgeted under his gaze, turning to glance at her clock. It was still rather early, only about 1 pm. Maybe talking to him would help pass the time, if nothing else. Setting the book back on the dresser she curled up on her bed, getting comfortable and then looked back at him. "Before I begin I have to know something to know just how to begin. Do you remember who I am?"

He was surprised that she would ask but smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, Kagome. You still smell like InuYasha, after all." She blushed at this and scowled, thinking over how to begin her tale without boring him. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Memories of a Time Past

"So, you are saying that you travel through time into a magic well and that is how you came to meet InuYasha?" His face looked a little skeptical. She was most certainly insane.

She sighed and her head fell against the pillow, but her eyes never left his face. "I know! It sounds nuts! I didn't believe it at first either!" He watched her as she buried her face into the pillow, completely embarrassed now. She was very odd, that was for sure.

Looking around he decided that the floor was probably going to be where he would sleep so he stood, searching through the closet for a pillow of some kind. When he turned around with one in his hands he saw her, staring at him. "Yes?"

Kagome blinked and tried to get the image to go away. Here he was, standing in her bedroom in a bathrobe with a little flower shaped pillow in his hands, looking all for the world like this was exactly where he should be. Was there something wrong with him? Oh… right. She had forgotten that he was used to this. According to the clerk at the freaky pet-shop of horror Sesshomaru had been purchased several times only to be returned a week or two later. One woman, she had gone on to say, had bought him only to return him within the hour. Apparently he was not a very good servant. She grinned at this and couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her.

He growled a little and glared at her. Was she laughing at him? Now he knew she was crazy. Then she looked up at him and smiled a little, in an apologizing way. He turned away from her, lying out on the floor and resting against the pillow.

"You've changed so much." Her voice was soft and wondering, as if she was trying to understand some mystery. He closed his eyes sharply and turned away from her.

"Maybe you're the one who changed." That shocked her a little. Maybe that was true. The Kagome before coming here would have never been so kind to Sesshomaru. He could have sat in that cell for eternity and she wouldn't have thought twice about it. Instead, she remembered how she had begged her mother to release him. The clerk and her mother had looked at her oddly, probably thinking that it had to do with her fainting spell, but she had persisted until they gave her the key.

She remembered running into the room and pulling his stiff form against her in a crushing hug as the tears streamed down her face. He hadn't done anything. Just sat there and semi-scowled at her for her actions. But she didn't care. He was here! He was real!

He was the only thing from the world she knew that hadn't disappeared into the crazy life that these people seemed to find so normal.

Looking down on his sleeping form she sighed. He looked so tense. She could only wonder what it was that went through his mind right now.

She was still looking at him. He could tell and it was irritating. The stupid human, he was so tired of playing nice to them. If anybody had thought he had no reason to hate them before they were certainly eating their words by now. How dare they? And this woman, she claimed to care and she seemed to act the part but he knew… oh how he knew… it would be just a matter of time.

That's all it ever was, then they changed, began to enjoy the power and the control. It was disgusting! His father had probably rolled so much in his grave that he was worn to a thin thread by now. To think! His son, the proud and dignified lord, had fallen prey to these simple minded fools!

He turned uncomfortably and thought over what the girl had said. So she knew of him somewhat, that was obviously known, and he remembered her from what he knew of her simply through the smell of InuYasha and her face. But truth be known neither knew the other enough to be comfortable and this situation was not helping. He would not trust her. 

Unfortunately, though, due to the pact of Youkai Enslavement, he was bound to protect her now. Any youkai that was in the service of a human was required to protect and serve, even at the cost of their own lives. In return, they would never be mistreated by the humans or the human would be sentenced to death for abuse. He supposed that in theory it made sense and that on paper it looked great but he never really liked it either.

Couldn't they just kill him now instead of humiliating him through eternity?

Well, now it was up to him to figure out a way to protect her. From what she had said of her time travels, the girl would be gone from him for days, possibly weeks or months, at a time. No way for him to go with her and no way for him to know that she were in danger. This was going to be a bother.

There was really only one thing to do, train her himself. She would have to grow stronger so that he could be assured that, while away from him, no danger could come to her. What they did to youkai who did not protect their owners was not something he really wanted to be subjected to. This was already bad enough.

Mind determined he decided that tomorrow morning would be the day to begin. She was in good health enough and had already fallen asleep so would be rested. Yes. Tomorrow he would begin her training to prepare her for her own self-preservation. Why didn't humans teach themselves these skills?

Stupid humans.

Kagome awoke to the smell of bacon cooking downstairs and raced through the room, dressing as quickly as possible and running into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Just as the gooey substance of toothpaste filled her mouth she remembered something. "Oh shit!" Her voice was muffled and toothpaste flew everywhere before she controlled herself and finished the task at hand. Grabbing a towel she wiped her face off and then ran back into the bedroom. "Sesshomaru!"

"Oh, you're awake dear. He said that you'd probably be hungry so he started some breakfast and then requested that you dress for a workout today. You know, my dear, I think you're going to be very happy with this one." Her, well the woman who looked like her, mother said from the hallway. She had a basket with clothes in it and then Kagome remembered something else.

"Clothes?" She said cryptically, but the woman understood and merely smiled.

"I provided some for him this morning. I hadn't known that you were going to have him bathe in our tub." She seemed to disapprove but Kagome really wasn't listening. Turning, she practically ran from the woman and down the stairs to see Sota sitting at the dining table with a pleased expression.

He saw her and smiled. "Mornin' 'Gome. I really like him! He makes these old fashioned meals really good; better than mom!" He pointed at a dish which Kagome didn't recognize but looked rather complicated.

"Eheheh.. that's great Sota. Eat up!" She turned her head, looking into the kitchen only to break out into laughter. There stood Sesshomaru, tall and regal, in a pair of blue jean shorts and one of her mom's aprons that said "kiss the cook" on the front. This was probably the most hilarious and unreal moment of her life! Clearing her throat and forcing her laughing down she looked up to see that he was glaring at her. "Ah. Good morning, Sesshomaru."

For once in his long life, Sesshomaru wanted to roll his eyes. How stupid. What was it that caused nature to bless these idiotic creatures with endurance in sheer numbers while his own kind dwindled down into nothing but him? Disgusting, really and horribly; it left a bad taste in his mouth. With a frown he turned back to the food cooking and simply said. "You sleep too much. It makes you look old."

Sota could be heard laughing and trying not to choke on his breakfast. Kagome glared at him and then at the back of the youkai standing at the stove. How dare he? After she went through all that trouble to save him from that place? Her mind jerked to a halt and she thought about it. Had she really saved him from anything?

What exactly was it she was trying to save?

The afternoon went by quickly. It was hot and you could hear the life in the surrounding forest of the hillside calling out for release from the humid air. Kagome's body was screaming at her, she had never hurt so badly in her entire life.

Her form was slouched over, half lying on the grass in the lawn outside her home. She was glaring at him, that monster that stood with that horrid smirk on his face and looked no worse for wear. Sesshomaru, the slave turned slave-driver. A low growl escaped her lips as she grunted to stand again and her irritation raised a notch as his eyebrow rose slightly.

"Are you ready for more?" He asked, mocking and harsh. She had to give him credit. Despite his rather odd presence the attitude he exuded had not changed much. He still believed that he was better than any human alive. He might just be right.

Wiping the sweat off her brow with a sleeve she nodded, without a word to him, and waited for the attack. It had sounded like fun when he had initially told her that he would be training her to protect herself. Unfortunately for her it had been an exhausting and humiliating hour and a half that seemed to stretch on for days.

At least they were both occupied. Her mind wandered a little too much, apparently, because the next thing she knew she was spun around, face planted into the ground with an arm twisted behind her back and he above her, pinning her to the ground with his legs. A whine escaped her and she closed her eyes, face contorting with the pain. "Sesshomaru! How can I learn anything if you're not teaching me; you just keep attacking without giving me any information!"

She shivered when she felt him lean down, his hot breath mixing with the moist air to brush against the sensitive hairs on the back of her neck. "Because, this is the best way to learn, little miko; if I had simply told you what to do you would never be prepared for another kind of attack, only that which I had told you of. Instead, you are learning how to think for yourself. I will not be there to think for you." He laced his last sentence with contempt, heavily showing her how he felt of her capabilities to think on her own feet.

With a sigh she mentally counted to ten and then began to struggle against him, trying to think her best way out of his hold. He wouldn't get the better of her. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four: No Time like the Present

Kagome looked up at him and then tore her gaze from him. "You'll cover for me, right?" The question seemed odd but it was needed. Nobody here knew but him, anybody who might would think she was in need of mental help. At least he only thought she was insane but was perfectly fine with allowing her to stay that way. That thought disturbed her a little.

They had talked some, he explaining to her some of his past and how he had come to be in the service of humans, while she explained more of her time travels and the history of the shikon jewel. He seemed most interested in her part of the battle against Naraku, as if there was something that he had not told her yet. She wouldn't put it past him.

He nodded, no words, he could honestly care less if she fell to the bottom and broke her neck but inside his mind something told him that she could be the one to honestly help with this situation. Opening the latch he watched as she walked over to the lip of the well and fearlessly jumped, the temporary lighting of the well illuminated the dusk darkened area and then faded. Waiting a moment he heard no sign of her so he closed the door and latched it shut again, walking back to the house.

Sesshomaru had to think of some way to get her stronger. It wouldn't work if she was always so defiant against him. Somehow, she remembered the older version of him as a formidable creature that must be feared. While he didn't argue that fact, there was no reason for her fear now. It was inhibiting her progress, what little she had made.

It was rather ironic that he would need her help, a human! Weren't they the ones who had got him in this mess? Well, he figured, if it hadn't been for that hanyou then this would never have happened. According to Kagome, in the time that she had known, there were no youkai. If there were they had been in hiding so long that humans merely thought of them as folklore.

That didn't sound very pleasing to him, but it was better than nothing. He would rather die in his own way than to die in the service of some human woman. A frown marred his face as he sat on Kagome's bed and thought over the past, to a time that he didn't really want to remember.

The rebellion had started rather quickly, once that man had died the people in the area had gone a little insane and began to tell stories to one another about how youkai were invading their homes and terrorizing their lives. At first, Sesshomaru believed them to be just imagination, fantasies to scare little children and women into staying away from being alone in heavily wooded areas.

Really, that was fine to him, stay away forever! Unfortunately there was a ripple effect and somehow Rin had picked up on these stories. She had looked up at him, her cherub face scared and uncertain, and then asked him what he was going to do to help the other scared kids. Help? Help the humans? Was the girl daft!

She persisted and eventually he sent out some of his military to gather information on just what was going on. The reports that would grace his desk by morning all lead to the same obvious problem. Naraku, he had taken it upon himself to cause serious havoc. Sesshomaru hadn't been certain as to what was going on in the hanyou's mind but now it was clear. The girl, Kagome, he had been trying to erase her.

Something as simple as finding a way to allow youkai to overcome extinction could possibly remove her, then obtaining the shikon jewel would be much easier without her annoying presence. Unfortunately the hanyou, as they most often were found to do, didn't think it through very much. Time had altered in the opposite effect. Now, not only were there youkai in abundance but they were enslaved by the very humans that Naraku had been trying to destroy!

On top of it all, the human wench was still going back in time to find the shards of the shikon, further disrupting his plans. What an idiot. Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Naraku, he would certainly get what was coming for him after this little screw up. Now it was just a matter of convincing Kagome to do what needed to be done.

After all, it wasn't just his future she would be saving but everyone's.

Kagome sighed as she hefted herself over the well. Looking around she noticed InuYasha walking up to greet her. He looked a little surprised when she launched over the side of the well but didn't say anything. When he went to lift her pack she waved him off and slid it onto her shoulders. "I need the weight."

He frowned. "What? What do you mean?"

She ground her teeth together a little and closed her eyes with a sigh. "It's a long story. Just let me do it." Within her, she felt that telling anyone about the incident on the other side would be very detrimental.

InuYasha was a little concerned for her but shook it off. Maybe she was just being Miss. Independent today. Who knows? Women were weird. She started to march off towards the village and he shrugged, following her.

Kagome had made her mind up. She wouldn't mention what was going on. She would simply keep going as if everything was normal. But… she would have to make an excuse as to why she needed to go home more often. Maybe they would believe her if she told them that her mother wasn't feeling well. She wasn't really herself, which was true.

As she settled in to sit by the fire she noticed that InuYasha kept giving her odd glances but she stared at him and he stopped. Now or never, she took a deep breath. "Well. I had fun at home for a bit! But, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go home more often now. Mom isn't herself lately and I think she really needs me to be there for her. Please, guys, I'll work extra hard while I'm here to look for jewel shards."

Her last statement seemed to appease InuYasha so the others merely nodded and smiled, happy she was back. That night Kagome went to sleep in Kaede's hut. The last image she saw before darkness took her was Sesshomaru, standing in her bedroom with a stern look. "Four days, wench, then you come back here. People will get suspicious if I keep giving them excuses as to your whereabouts."

She had nodded, afraid of what he might do, and agreed. What could she say? No? Yeah right. Besides, he had a point. People on that side would wonder where she had gone.

Absently she remembered how her mother on that side had thought she had only been gone ten minutes. Maybe time here and time there moved differently? She would have to test that theory when she had the chance.

Kagome heard a squish as her feet landed in the well. "Eww. Gross!" The more she remained away the weirder this place got! The well, apparently was taking on more and more water with time. This was going to get strange.

She felt her fingers around and found the ladder that Sota had brought, still propped against the side of the well. Climbing up she expected the door to be shut, instead she saw that it was open. There in the doorway stood Sesshomaru, waiting for her.

He didn't look happy. As she exited the well house she watched him close and latch the door. Then the world went spinning and she was shoved against the door, his body pressed against hers and his arm pressing tightly against her throat. His face was so close and she looked up slightly, at his eyes, wondering what she had done. "Hello to you, too, Sesshomaru."

A growl escaped his lips and he pressed against her throat, inhibiting her speech. "Wench, I said four days, not four weeks; where have you been!" If she could have, she would have inhaled in surprise. A month, had it been that long already? Oh wow. Time really was on a whole different spectrum here!

Her hands flailed out and she reached out, smacking him across the head. That wasn't what she was aiming for. Oh well. He frowned but released her, glaring at her still. "Let me explain! It has only been four days over there!" He growled again and she whimpered. "Okay! It's been five! I'm sorry! But… seriously, I wasn't trying to make problems. We ran into Naraku again."

Surprisingly, he seemed to accept this answer and turned away from her in a huff, walking towards the house. "Tell me what more you have learned of the hanyou Naraku." It was not a request. Kagome fumed.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to respond to me in a kind way once in a while!" She had her hands balled into fists, eyes closed as she practically jumped up and down in a tantrum. Sesshomaru frowned, this wouldn't do, and he would have to teach her what her place truly was. Not this illusionary world.

Then things got stranger for Kagome. Within her mind she saw something, something that she'd been practicing on since she had left. A leg, flying out towards her feet, and then the image of her falling to the ground; a shocked gasp escaped her lips and she jumped, opening her eyes at the same time. Then everything seemed to speed up as he thrust out his hand, trying to knock her over again, she dodged by feinting to the right. He stood and nodded, turning around. "Very well; perhaps you are not so stupid after all."

He started walking again and she stood there, blinking for a moment, before running after him to tell him what she had learned of Naraku and find out why he was so interested. 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Running out of Time

She was shocked. This couldn't really have been why that happened. The old guy just died on accident, right? She looked up at the stoic youkai to see that he was not joking and sighed. So, now there was a whole new mess with Naraku to clean up.

"Okay. So what do I need to do?" There was no question in her mind if she should do it. It was, in a way, her fault that this time alteration had occurred. She would have to change things for the better.

Sesshomaru shifted slightly and seemed to frown. He didn't look so sure. "Collect the jewel, defeat Naraku, but you could just focus on the shikon. Once you have it you can make a wish, correct?" She nodded but a look on her faced caused him to wonder if this would work. "Then you can simply wish for the man to have not died and this time will be altered back to its original state."

Kagome shook her head. "That won't work, Sesshomaru. That's a selfish wish, you and I both know it, and I can't make that kind. The shikon only will grant a wish that is made for the purest of reasons." She sighed and smiled a little at him. "Nice try, though. Maybe we can think of something else?"

He glared at her and grunted. "Yes, perhaps." He didn't like how friendly she always tried to be with him. "You should get some sleep. We train tomorrow."

Odd enough she seemed to smile at this and then cuddled under her blankets. She watched as he got onto the floor to lie down and frowned. Biting her lip she stared into the darkness of the room before making her mind up. "Sesshomaru?" He didn't say anything but she knew he could hear her. "Um. Would you like to lie on the bed? I mean, you can just lie next to me on top of the blanket, I'll move over as far as possible. I promise. It just has to be really uncomfortable on that floor and…"

"Woman, stop your rambling and move over before I lay on you to stifle your chatter." Kagome blushed, glad for the darkness, and moved over as she had promised. His weight shifted the bed and she turned away, looking at the wall for a long time before sleep overcame her.

Sesshomaru listened as her breathing evened out into sleep. What had motivated her to ask him up here? And why had he joined her? He had made it out that it was only to shut her up, very easily; but the truth was he had no idea. Kagome was different from the other humans he knew of. She cared about everyone, regardless of their past or their future. It went against everything he believed true of the species. Only one human had ever been this honest: Rin. She, too, was clumsy and stupid in her own way but she was so giving and trusting that it was near blinding. Her innocence was so contrasting to his dark persona that it seemed to mock the world that they would be partnered in any way.

And here he was again, with a woman just like her. Fate seemed to love laughing at him.

Turning his eyes to where he could see her, he was surprised. She had tossed in her sleep to where she was now facing him. Her hair flew about her in the fury of her movements and now it was pasted to her skin in an alluring shade over her face. Her lips were slightly parted and partially moist and her eyes were closed lightly, peace written across her form in all ways. For a human, and when she was quiet and still, she was quite alluring.

He turned away from her, facing to the door and looking into the dark room before he decided that his sleep addled mind must be playing tricks on him. Soon, he joined her in sleep.

"KAGOME HIGURASHI! How dare you do something like this in my home? Get up right now!" A bright light flashed on along with the booming voice and suddenly the blanket was snatched away. Kagome groaned and squinted her eyes tighter shut, trying to block the light away.

She wanted her blanket back, what was wrong with her mother? Then she noticed as she went to reach out for it that her hands were pinned down and that she wasn't as cold as she should be. Kagome's eyes snapped open and she looked down, mouth wide in shock and fear as her worst imagination came true.

Sesshomaru's arm was wrapped around her waist, the hand that she had been trying to use pinned underneath. Kagome squealed in surprise and then fidgeted, trying to be free. "Sesshomaru! Sesshomaru, get up now! Please! Sessho…" He released her, rising from the bed. She ran a hand through her tousled hair before she turned to look at the angry face of her mother and the glaring stare of Sesshomaru. "What are you looking at me like that for? You're the one who had themselves wrapped around me!" His glare deepened and a slight growl could be heard.

Her mother looked appalled. "So is THIS why you constantly get sent back; because you take advantage of young girls?" Sesshomaru looked at her, disgusted that she would even suggest something like that. Kagome agreed. She groaned and rubbed at her eyes, trying to wake up.

"Mom. He didn't do anything. I don't get why you're so worked up about it. He was on top of the blanket with me inside. It's not like there was much going on." Her mother shook her head at her and held the blanket up in her hands, shaking it furiously.

"Oh you mean this blanket! The one I just tore off of the two of you? Yes, I said the TWO of you! Kagome, don't you dare lie to me! You weren't just under the covers together; it was as if you were trying to resemble a human pretzel. Or in his case, youkai, whatever; Kagome! What is going on here?"

Kagome frowned. When had he got under the blanket? She remembered when he got in, didn't she? Rubbing at her forehead she tried to get her sleepy brain to wake up but it was no good so she did the next thing she could do, she got angry. Turning her gaze onto Sesshomaru she ground her teeth in rage. "You got under the blankets? I told you on top! Not make yourself comfortable with me!"

Sesshomaru had enough. "You're disgusting. I would never do something like that. I will sleep elsewhere from now on so that you and your mother are both far from me when I wake!" He stormed out of the room, running into Sota who begged him for breakfast, before leading the boy into the kitchen.

"The nerve! Why I ought to…"

Kagome screamed and covered her hands with her face. "Mom! Shut up!"

Her mother stood there for a moment, speechless, before turning and leaving the room; closing the door behind her without a word. Kagome balled her fists and thrust them against the bed along with her feet, another tantrum. They certainly helped with the frustration of this whole mess. Throwing herself against the bed she smothered her face in the pillow, screaming hard into it. What was going on here!

"Ow! That really hurt, you know!" She cried out as her hand went up to her shoulder, rubbing it gently. He had thrown her against the side of the well-house. He merely stared at her, waiting for her to move. Getting back into a ready stance, as she had observed from him, she watched, then sidestepped as he lunged at her with his claws and jumped, rolling across the lawn and out of the dangerous point against the wall.

He turned to look at her, raised eyebrow and amused expression on his face. She was learning much faster than he had thought. Perhaps he had misjudged her? Not possible. Perhaps it was due to her miko powers, yes, that could be it. Every miko was like a youkai only on the opposite side of the spectrum, but they each had their own unique abilities. Perhaps hers was her ability to adjust and ascertain the situation.

Jumping up he landed about three feet from her right before he ran up the side of a tree, bounced off and landed behind her, shoving her with his open hand. She cried out again as she hit the tree with the same shoulder. Maybe he was giving her too much credit. He watched as her face remained downward, staring into nothing, chest heaving for breath. Her hair fell over her eyes and he could smell the heavy scent of her sweat waving off her body with the heat of the day.

Then she growled low and ran right for him, not looking at him, he dodged by feinting to the left only to have her drop, throw her leg out, and undercut him hard. She didn't stop. His body began to fall and he went into auto mode, rolling to get out from under her. He rose from the roll on her right side, expecting to see her standing two feet away and blinking like an idiot. She wasn't there.

A sharp pain entered his senses as he felt her foot connect with the back of his shoulder. The woman was trying to exact revenge! This was amazing! He turned, grabbing her ankle and twisting hard. She squealed, body flipping through the air from the motion, but reached out to grasp him around the neck, effectively pulling him down with the momentum he had created. Her back crushed against the ground hard and she cried out, all air escaping her lungs, as the pain seared up her spine.

One problem led to another as she tried to turn and found her ankle had been sprained, keeping her from moving. It was too late. Sesshomaru fell on her, crushing her body with his, a grunt escaping him as he tried to brace himself from the fall. Absently Kagome realized that, watching his movements, he was trying to keep from completely hurting her. Why?

Looking up she saw his face, next to hers, staring down at her as a man would check his car for slight signs of damage. She felt like a piece of meat under inspection at the butcher block and it was very embarrassing. With a sigh she bit her lip and then decided that she should do something, since he would not. Opening her mouth to say something she stopped short when he spoke first. "Don't say anything. Be still. I want to make sure that you're not injured."

She blinked. What? Did it matter to him if she was injured? She was about to protest but rethought it. Here he was, being gentle and considerate and she was about to go ruin it. How stupid, Kagome! He lifted up, sitting next to her, and observed her body before a frown came to his face. "You are injured."

Huh? She looked away from his eyes, shaking the hazy thoughtless moment from her mind, before she spoke. "Am I?" He nodded and stood, crouching over her before lifting her in his arms. A squeak escaped her lips as she felt his hand go around the back of her neck, holding her firmly. He had done this before. He had held a human, a woman, like this before. When?

Kagome's mind wandered while he walked to the house. She heard her mother squawking in the background at Sesshomaru and he replied with something that seemed to make it okay. Then they were going upstairs and he laid her on the bed, pulling the covers over her body. Somewhere in her mind Kagome had to wonder what the real reason for his actions were.

Sesshomaru left the room, returning with a glass of water and some Tylenol. He handed her the pills and wordlessly prompted her to drink them down before he went to the desk in her room, lifted the chair, and sat it next to her bed. He sat, and did nothing else, seemingly waiting for something. A few moments more and Kagome knew what. She was exhausted. They had trained all day since breakfast and now her body was overjoyed with the idea of rest. Her eyes became heavy and she sighed contently, the last thing she saw was Sesshomaru, looking away from her, a bored look on his face.

Somehow, that was such a comforting image.

She had finally fallen asleep.

Good. He couldn't risk the chance that someone might think he had purposely injured her. They would take him away and then who would prepare her to defeat Naraku? It had to be done, and he was the only one with the skill able to do it. No. There would be no risk taking with this girl.

Girl. With a scowl he purposely looked in the opposite direction of her. When she had attacked him he had seen a new side of her. It attracted him to her in a way that was so base yet so wrong on so many levels. She was no girl, anymore, at least not to his mind. He growled slightly and frowned. He couldn't allow this risk either. She was human, he was disgusted by them!

Oh father. You have surely cursed your sons.

He knew he couldn't escape it now. The protective side of him, his inu side, had already taken her in. She was to be guarded by him no matter what and there would be no mistaking who protected her. He was the lord of the western lands and the last of his kind, hell be a welcoming place for those who sought to endanger those in his protection.

It had been when she fell, that she had slid so easily into the slot in his mind, right next to Rin. A place designated for those who he would die to protect. A place he wasn't sure how to control or how to access. Rin, too, had found her own way there.

When she fell he felt something in him scream in rage. How could he do that to her? She was in pain and here he was, increasing it? The logical side of him tried to express that it was for her own protection, she needed to know how to defend herself, but the logical side couldn't win this battle. He already knew that. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Time to Make a Move

Kagome woke alone, as promised Sesshomaru was not in the room. He had slept elsewhere. She sighed and curled tighter into her bed before wincing. Ow. Her foot hurt so badly!

Sitting up she lifted the blankets to see that her ankle had swollen and was now the size of a softball. A black and blue, slightly lumpy softball; ew. She moaned as she tried to move more, her whole body was sore. Then she heard a soft knock on the door. "Yes?"

"Kagome, honey, he told me what happened. May I come in? I have something for you to eat." It was her mother, or whatever she was, that woman who was like her mother.

"Come in." The door opened and Kagome saw the woman enter with a tray of food and some more Tylenol. So, he knew that she was going to feel horrible when she woke up, did he? Had he planned this? Had she just imagined his behavior earlier?

Looking up at her mother and accepting the tray she sighed and frowned. "Where is he?" Her mother gave her a wary look and shook her head. Then turned, closing the door gently, before coming back to sit in the empty chair next to her bed.

"Kagome, I want you to tell me what is going on between you two."

What? How could she believe something like that? Eh? "Um. What do you mean?" She asked, stupidly. She knew what she meant; she just wasn't sure why she was asking.

The woman frowned and stared down at the girl as if she were completely dense. "Kagome, I don't know if you've noticed but you're both displaying rather odd behavior. You act like you're in a dream half the time, unless you're with him, you don't ever know what's going on anymore. He acts as if you are his property, instead of the other way around, and gives these looks that could kill to anyone who might look your way. We've lost several regular shrine customers because of his glares. And the looks he gives you, I can't believe I raised a daughter this clueless. Kagome! He acts as if you belong to him! And I don't mean just as property!"

She swallowed hard and blinked. He does? What? Well, it's Sesshomaru, he thinks he owns everybody, right? She shook her head slightly and took the Tylenol, hoping it would make this crazy lady go somewhere else. "I think you're reading too much into things."

Her mother looked shocked. "How can you say that? Kagome, you know as well as I do, they teach you this in school girl! Youkai are very possessive! Once they claim you there is no going back! Haven't you watched those programs with me before? Ones were girls think the youkai actually loves them only to die of a broken heart? To think! A youkai actually being capable of love! Some of these new-age children, oh Kagome, please tell me you're not one of them!"

Kagome couldn't help it. She broke out laughing, all out hard laughter. This was really funny! This woman thought that she was falling in love with Sesshomaru! How weird. The woman scowled at the girl and shook her head. "Kagome I don't see what's so funny! I mean, just look at you now! You were simply sparring with him, supposedly he was training you for your own protection, and now here you are in bed for the fifth day in a row!"

Her laughter stopped at once. Five days? She had been sleeping that long? No wonder she was sore! "Why did you let me sleep that long?"

"We couldn't get you up, honey. We tried, really we did."

Kagome sighed and then looked down at her plate for a moment before glancing up at her mother. "Okay. So. Where is Sesshomaru?"

The woman's face fell and she looked defeated. "Oh sweetie, I did it for your own good, you know. Please, you'll find a nice young human boy soon! I promise."

Her mouth fell open in shock. What was this woman rambling on about now? Where was he? Oh no. Oh hell no. "You took him back, didn't you?"

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She couldn't believe she was doing this. Glancing down at the speedometer she sighed and pressed on the break a little. Speeding at 90 in a 75 zone would probably get her a ticket.

She didn't even have her license. She hadn't ever bothered. Here she was, in her mother's car, racing back to that horrid place. She squealed into a couple of parking spaces, and turned the car off, clamoring out of the seat.

Kagome ran up to the door, closed, the sign read. Yeah, well, she had news for them. She pounded on the door, only to see that nobody was in the room. With a frown she circled around the building before she came to an alley. A side door leading into the building with a bell for deliveries, perfect!

Jogging up to it she pressed the button firmly and waited. Once the woman opened the door she shoved in, pushing her against the wall. "Give me the keys." The woman was scared, and shakily held out the keys.

"Please don't release them all! I'll get fired if you do!" Kagome snorted and rolled her eyes before snatching the keys and walking over to the door. Color coded, so easy. She opened the door and walked in, ignoring the woman.

Once inside she ran down the halls, not looking at the other youkai within, there was only one on her mind. She pulled the final door open with a heave and raced up to the cell that he was in. But he was not there.

"Sesshomaru!" She cried out, afraid of what they might have done with him. Then she heard a scuffle and spun, facing the other cell. Something was in there.

"Kagome? What are you doing here, woman? Your mother said you were still ill." He actually sounded worried for her. Weird. She ignored it and ran up to the cell door, trying the keys to find the one that worked. None of them did.

With a scream she threw them at the door and kicked it, crying out. This wasn't fair! "I can't get the door open! None of these keys work and I doubt the girl who works here is going to help." Tears were beginning to stream down her face and she slumped down, sliding along the smooth metal of the door, before crumbling to the ground in defeat.

"Give me permission."

Huh? Lifting her head up she looked at him with a confused look. "What? Permission to do what?"

"Release my youki, give myself enough power to open the door. You are my mistress, so you can give me permission to do that, if you wish it. It is how they keep us here. A mere slab of metal would never keep me imprisoned. The subduing spell they place on us has the ability to keep our youki at a minimum, just over alive, so that we are as weak as any other humans unless our owners give us permission to be otherwise."

Kagome's face contorted into a disgusted scowl. "That's horrible." He nodded, completely agreeing. "Lord Sesshomaru, I, Kagome Higurashi, as the, by law, owner of your person give you permission, fully granted heretofore, to release your youki and be your true self."

He was shocked. He had expected some kind of trick from her, being human, but should have known better. She had not only allowed him to have his power back, she was giving it back to him permanently. And she had done it so eloquently, too. Impressive.

Without another word he stood and felt the spells binding break way. It was time to get out of here.

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They stood near the well-house. She was in tears still, crying for some unknown reason. He didn't like it but wasn't sure what he could do. Human crying was rather annoying.

"Kagome." She stopped, sniffed and looked up at him. "You will have to leave here now. Do not come back until you have completed your task. By now you should be able to survive. I expect you to do so."

She quirked a smile at him and nodded, but the tears kept falling. "Please don't forget me. I… I was… I thought of you as a friend." It was hard to say but she knew this would be her last chance. "You were the only constant in this world for me. I know I clung to you a little too much and that you were probably disgusted by me but, thank you, for just being there."

He didn't know what to say. "Well, I will be rid of you now, won't I?"

She frowned and glared up at him, anger mounting. "How can you be so insensitive?" Before she knew what she was doing she had reached up with both hands and shoved him, and he actually moved.

He looked down at her hands before tracing them with his eyes and up to her face. Then he sighed within. Perhaps… just tonight… he could allow himself to do something unexpected. She was going away, never to return, so what could it hurt?

Kagome turned to leave, grasping at the well-house door and opening it, walking in. She reached down for her pack that was on the ground, just inside. Her fingers never met the cloth.

Sesshomaru reached for her, taking her hand in his and then swinging her around. He heard a startled cry from her but ignored it. Looking down into her face he knew this would not be something he would regret.

Shockwaves ran down her spine as her mind tried to figure out just what was going on. What? He was? No! This can't be… but it was.

His lips were on hers, gentle and giving but requesting. Kagome felt her mind go blank and her legs felt like jelly.

Running her hands up into his hairline she traced the back of his neck with her fingertips, feeling his arms wrap around her in a warm embrace. She couldn't breathe. He was so intoxicating. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven: It's About Time

Somewhere from the distance she could hear music playing. Someone was playing music in the house next door, she guessed. But it was so romantic. Such a fitting song to this moment, whatever this moment exactly was.

Need. That was all that could really describe why they had come to this point. They were the only ones that remained of their worlds, and so… they needed each other; desperately. She would have gone insane without his solid presence. He would have died alone and broken without her crazy personality. They rejuvenated one another.

Kagome never questioned him. He never questioned her.

It was only they, laying there within the damp and darkened well-house. And that song, playing in the distance, that desperate song; was it a sign?

No, don't think. Just feel. Oh feel.

Kagome cried out as she felt him touch her body. It was so cold in here, so why did her flesh feel so hot? He whispered to her, nothing in particular, and she didn't care what it was just that it was.

Neither would know why it had happened. Neither would care.

They would only know that it had happened. And that it had been beautiful. There, in the well-house, alone.

Kagome lost herself to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru lost himself to Kagome.

Over and over. Until the sun had twinkled away to nothing and the moon began to creep high.

She was still panting hard and looked up at him with a hazy glance, running her hand over his face. That unchanging face that looked so much younger now.

"Will I see you again?" It was a very weighted question, one that neither knew the answer to.

He didn't answer her, merely kissed her gently. And then she was gone, back down the well.

Kagome felt it… the water from the well touching her before she disappeared into the past. She could never come here again.

But… within her she knew the answer to her question. Yes. Yes, Kagome, somewhere… somewhere in time. I'll find you and possess you again.

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InuYasha came running up to her screaming. "Kagome! Where have you been!" She winced at his tone and he stopped abruptly, looking at her oddly. "What happened to you?" His voice was concerned and a little angry. Did he sense something?

She smiled and brushed it aside. "N..nothing. Really. It's okay, InuYasha. My mom is better now so she said that I could come back here until we're finished with the jewel, seeing as how close we are. She said she knew you'd be excited to get it done and that she wishes us luck."

He frowned but nodded, then raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Did anything else happen?" She shook her head, no, and then raced down the path to the village. Hoping he wouldn't pressure her more.

Running after her he was confused. She smelled different. Like… like a woman in heat but not; something had definitely happened. He decided to question her more subtly. "So, meet any interesting guys lately?"

Kagome stopped, giving him an odd look and shaking her head. "Nope. Nobody even remotely interesting, not one." She turned, continuing on her path but a little slower this time.

InuYasha frowned and tried to think of another one. Ah. "Been on any dates lately? You usually like to talk about going to those… movies." He grinned; he knew he had her here.

Again she shook her head. "Nope. No dates." He stopped, shocked, and looked at her with a gaping mouth.

"You mean that you just went and mated with some guy without even knowing them!" Kagome blushed and sighed, noticing that they were just outside Kaede's. She frowned at him and decided to ignore him for his lack of tact.

However when she entered the hut she had all occupant's eyes on her, wide and mouths agape. "Is what InuYasha says true, Kagome?" Kaede asked, unsure what to think.

Kagome growled out slightly and shoved herself against the wall, falling down to the floor. "No! Would you get off me about it? He's probably just misreading!" She sighed and rubbed her temples with her hands. Leave them to ruin a perfectly good evening.

But it wasn't evening here. It was Daytime. How strange. Kagome looked outside, watching some children play and smiled wistfully. Well that would never be.

Kagome knew she could never be with another man now. Sesshomaru had blinded her to anyone else. And now… he was gone. A tear escaped her eye and she felt it race down her face.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" Shippo asked, afraid for her. She smiled down on the kit, unsure what to say.

"Yes, Shippo. I'm just a little nervous."

He frowned and looked confused. "Why?"

Biting her lip she swallowed hard and looked out to the sky. "Because we must face Naraku soon."

Nobody said much after that.

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It had been eight weeks since she last saw him. Eight weeks since she had felt a passion that would never return. With a sigh Kagome turned, trying to get comfortable on her sleeping bag. It was too cold without him.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes she sighed, then without warning some unknown signal went off in her head and she jumped out of the sleeping bag and raced off into the nearby bushes. Everyone else was asleep, luckily. Had there been something she ate that hadn't settled with her? Possible, but what?

She frowned and tried to clean herself up as much as possible. This was so disgusting. Walking over to the nearest river she kneeled over it, taking some water in her hands to splash her face with before rinsing her clothes as best she could. As she was trying to get a rather tough spot off her shirt she noticed her reflection.

Wow. Kagome, you look really amazing. Blinking she bent over, examining the subtle changes. Her face looked fuller and her hair looked shinier and tamer. Her skin tone had evened out and had a nice slight tan to it, it almost seemed to glow. What had happened?

"Kagome! There you are!" It was Sango. The slayer ran up to her and smiled, giving her an approving look. "Wow, Kagome, you know this is weird but you look really pretty. Have you done something with your hair?" Kagome shook her head, no. Her friend eyed her a little longer before smiling in a quirky way. "You know, Kagome, if I didn't know better I'd say you had that 'pregnant glow' going on." She laughed and then started to head back to the campsite. "Come on, Kagome, we have to go."

Kagome nodded, yes, I'm coming. Just before I get over what you said, okay? She blinked, looking at herself in the water again before racing after Sango. Was it possible?

When she re-entered the campsite everyone was waiting for her. "So, Kagome, how many do we have left now?" Miroku asked with a hopeful tone.

She smiled and reached into her pack, taking out the little bottle she kept the shards in. Looking at it she grinned wide. "I'd say about four." Everyone looked shocked.

"Seriously?" Sango, this time, asked with an uncertain look. Kagome nodded in glee and they all cheered. It was time to find Naraku and finish this. 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: High Noon

Not surprisingly, it had taken several months to find Naraku. He was hiding, cowering in the ever present distance that seemed to stretch before them.

They had come across Kohaku first. A heart wrenching event, Sango had run to him when he fell, begging him to forgive her as she withdrew her sword, preparing to kill him. Just as suddenly as she had proclaimed this, Miroku shoved her aside, rolling down the hillside with her. InuYasha stepped in and slashed the boy, remaining within the view of his body so that nobody save him could see the gruesome image.

Sango's sobs could be heard for miles. There they fell upon the ears of a child, a child who knew the name that was being called. She looked up with pleading eyes at her father-figure and his face fell, ever so slightly, in defeat. They would go to see what had been done, if only to have her forget about it tomorrow.

But she would never forget. Neither would he.

InuYasha noticed him first, turning slightly with Tetsuiga still drawn. He growled out the name in an angry manner. "Sesshomaru. What do you want?"

Kagome inhaled sharply, turning from her position over the fallen Sango, and watched as the brothers faced. It had been the first time she had seen him in weeks. But this was not him, not the man she had known, he was younger and unchanged from the hard time of a war that would hopefully never be.

Her heart cried out in agony. Why did it have to be this way? She looked to Sango and then up to see Rin, the child that followed Sesshomaru, watching where the body of Kohaku lie. That's right, she had known him. She sighed and then turned back to the brothers, who were now arguing over why the elder was even there.

Without thinking she ran up to him, tears streaming down her face, and fell to the ground before him. "Please. I know you can stop this. Please help me." He sneered down at her, she was peculiar.

"Why should I help a weakling like you?"

Everyone watched, in amazement as Kagome stood slowly, and then proceeded to knock Sesshomaru to the ground. "I'm not weak! Now get up and do what you can to help or stop being part of the problem!"

His eyes narrowed. Something was different with her. He lightly sniffed the air and noticed that she stiffened when she saw this. She smelled… what? That wasn't possible. He stood and looked down at her, face unreadable. "Woman, I will do as you ask and you know exactly why, but you must then tell me just how this came to be."

She shook her head. "I can't tell you that, Sesshomaru. Not yet. But I give you my word that I will. Once we defeat Naraku."

"You cannot go up against Naraku now!" Everyone stepped back, including Kagome, at his outburst. What was wrong with him?

Kagome shivered with nervous tension and sighed, looking at him with pleading eyes. "I must. I made a promise. I must fulfill it."

He turned from her in an angry movement and walked over to the crushed Kohaku. Sneering he pulled out his Tenseiga and slashed at the boy, watching in slight amazement as his lungs began to rise and fall once more. "I will go with you to go against Naraku." This was not a request and there was no room left for argument.

Sango quickly ran to her brother, holding his frightened form against her breast. He was alive again! "Th..thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

But he never looked at her, his eyes were on Kagome. He walked over to her and pointed towards Ah-Un where Rin sat. "Get on." The miko blushed and lowered her gaze, walking over to the dragon and climbing on behind the child.

"Kagome?" InuYasha asked, questioning and completely confused. Why was she listening to him? Wasn't Sesshomaru their enemy? And why had he insisted on helping them?

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The hours that had passed, riding upon Ah-Un, had gone by in a blur for Kagome. Rin chatted idly, mostly with Kohaku who never spoke. The girl didn't seem to mind.

Sesshomaru kept sending looks her way. InuYasha kept sending looks his. Miroku kept looking at his hand. Sango kept looking at her brother.

But Kagome, she looked down, away from everyone and towards herself most of all. Being so near him was painful, memories of his presence near her while she slept or his voice when he told her how well she had learned a new move. Little moments like that just kept popping back into her head.

Then, as if he had been sent in on queue to ruin the peace, Naraku appeared. Kagura approached them first, she looked to want to go after InuYasha but after seeing Kagome and Rin upon the dragon, changed her mind and turned her wind upon them. What happened next would be a blur. Kagome saw the blades flying towards her, turning to Rin. There was no time. She couldn't jump from the dragon with the child and still escape unscathed. So she pushed her, shoving Rin to the opposite side of the youkai and protecting her with him.

She closed her eyes, wincing in wait for the inevitable pain to come, but it never came. Opening her eyes she saw blades, flying to either side of her, some hitting the poor beast below her and others cutting… cutting hair that flew to the sides. Silver hair. Kagome gasped and before she even turned screamed out his name. "Sesshomaru!"

He stood there, looking down on her, teeth clenched but otherwise looking rather normal if it weren't for his tattered clothes and hair. Smoke could be seen rising from his back and you could hear the sizzle of his flesh in the silence that held all people present captive.

Kagura sneered. "So, Sesshomaru. You've done well for yourself, haven't you? A mortal child. A mortal woman. And a hanyou bastard." Kagome heard no more. The blood pumping through her ears prevented sound from entering.

She stood, helping Sesshomaru to sit, and then turned, angry to Kagura. What came from her in response was not what people were expecting.

"My… child… is no… bastard!" She ran to the wind witch then, anger and fury on her face. Her body seemed to take on an earth real glow, as if it were a purification arrow, but not the same. However, as she stormed up to the witch it diminished and she smirked. "Would you like me to show you what my child's father taught me, Kagura?" Kagome's voice was deep and seductive, and very frightening. She sounded so sure of herself.

Before she could say anything, Kagome reared up and punched the woman in the face. Kagura fell back, hitting her back on the ground rather sharply. Kagome ran up to her, pulling up her hair tight and then grasped both sides of her head, twisting it in a final jerk.

Nobody believed what they saw. Kagome had just snapped Kagura's head like it was a twig!

They heard Sesshomaru's laughter and turned a concerned eye his way, what was with him? "It must be the pregnancy hormones." What?

InuYasha stepped up to him, ready to demand answers on this supposed pregnancy when the next of Naraku's minions came up. Kanna. She didn't say a word, stepping up to InuYasha and holding out her mirror. It wasn't a battle stance. She was making a request.

Wordlessly she looked to her fallen 'sister' and then turned back to them, her somber face never changing. "I'll do it." Kagome had said it. She walked over to where the girl was and held onto the edge of the mirror, feeling parts of her soul trying to go within. Then she held up an arrow, lighting it with her miko powers and then thrusting it within the mirror hard. It wasn't breaking enough!

She growled low and turned to the others. "It's not working!" InuYasha nodded to her, giving her a signal to move away, then lifted the Tetsuiga.

"Wind Scar!" His voice echoed across the little pass they were in and birds flew up in fight. Kanna fell, her body unmoving and apparently lifeless. It was hard to tell with her. Hopefully she was with Kagura.

Then it came to Naraku. He had been standing there, amused, watching the whole spectacle. "I have an offer to make. I will hand the shard over to someone, and battle the miko only. If I win, I receive the shikon. If I lose, well then I don't have much say in that, do I?"

InuYasha was ready to turn him down, this was his fight! Kagome was in no way able to defend herself against Naraku! Even Sesshomaru looked a little bothered by this idea. He must realize that she was not going to win, this couldn't be good. But the girl stood up, and turned to him, brushing her hair out of her face.

"You're on Naraku. I have a promise to keep, so let's make this quick."

"WHAT!" InuYasha screamed, ready to pull her back and tie her down if he had to. Sango stood to the side with Miroku and the children, unsure if she should leave their side to assist or if this were some trick of Naraku.

"Kagome." It was Sesshomaru, still laying against Ah-Un but looking a little better than he had a few moments before. She ran up to him, kneeling beside him, and smiled. "Be careful. You need to keep your promise, after all."

A tear fell down her face and she sighed. "Don't worry Sesshomaru. I've never broken one yet." He nodded and she smiled, happy that he wasn't arguing for her to stop this battle.

Without another moment wasted she turned and ran up to Naraku, kicking out against him. He dodged and she growled out low. A smirk appeared on his face. "Ah. I see. I had thought it to be a ruse before but now I realize it is not. You truly have given up on the boy. And with his brother, no doubt! How ironic!" Kagome frowned, why was he talking instead of fighting? Moron. She lowered to the ground slightly, knocking him down and then pulling out an arrow, stabbing it into his chest. The purity of the arrow seeped into him and he cried out, thrusting the base of his hand into her face and throwing her off.

Kagome flew, tumbling over herself before she landed, face down in the dirt. She lay there, perfectly still, and nobody was sure if she was even alive anymore. Naraku laughed, walking over to her, ready to kick her when she spun out and grasped his leg, jerking him down and rolling with him until she was once again over him, new arrow in hand. This one went into his forehead. He screamed, flailing out at her with whatever he could. When his outer image disappeared the tentacles came, but she still held firm to the arrow, pushing into him with her pure power.

It was very painful. Every strike created a new wound. Blood was pouring from her body everywhere. But she could not stop. She couldn't. The Sesshomaru that she knew might be gone but she now knew that she was carrying his child within her. She had to live! With a cry she reached within herself and pushed, ever so slightly, allowing the torrent of her power to release and overflow.

Then the world went black. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: Decision Time (The Wish)

"When you do this you realize that I will have no ties to you any longer."

She nodded, knowing that it would have to be this way anyway. He turned from her, and seemed to pause before turning back. "Whatever decision you have made I will respect it."

"I know."

He nodded once, and then turned again, walking off. He stopped, and waited. "I will return for some answers when an appropriate time has passed."

"Okay."

Once more, he was gone from her life. Kagome sighed and slumped against the tree next to her. This was going to be hard.

She and Sesshomaru had thought over this in her room, the wish. It would have to be done this way or there would be no going back. And she had promised that it would be taken care of the right way, for the sake of everyone.

Lowering her gaze to her belly she rested a hand against her abdomen. They hadn't known. Neither of them had really thought about the possibility. She supposed that was rather blind of them, but they were in an unusual situation. Who could blame them?

Standing, she ran a hand through her hair and turned to watch the sunset.

The others, after waiting for her to recover from her fainting spell, had hugged her immensely before handing her the last fragments of the shikon. In her hand it had fused together again, awaiting her response.

She had looked up, they all looked so happy but so worn out. So she had made a decision. They would wait until morning before the wish, so that all could be present to hear the outcome with a full night's rest, Naraku free.

Grudgingly, they had agreed, and so here she stood, watching the sunset and thinking over the wording they had practiced. It was such a simple wish, but what would the others think?

Shaking her head she sighed and began to walk to Kaede's. She needed to sleep. Tomorrow would be a trying day.

center/center

Sesshomaru stood, watching the sunset with a somber expression. He wasn't sure how it had come to be but that woman had his child.

His child.

Something stirred within him, calling out to come to him.

He didn't even know her. Sure, she was pretty as far as humans went, especially when she was quiet or angry. And she was powerful in spirit, a fiery little creature, most likely blindingly passionate. But… how?

She was human. That went against everything for him.

Somehow, though, when he thought it over; in another time and another place it wouldn't be so far fetched. He couldn't imagine courting her, in any lifetime, but maybe just a clashing of two individuals with fire in their hearts. Where the darkness meets the light, between waking and slumber; he had heard of such things.

Usually they lasted for quite some time, no doubt it would, but they were often among individuals who had near nothing in common.

He sighed. So the real question was, how had she done it?

Now that he knew it was possible for it to happen, could it be real? Had she somehow cast a spell about herself to make herself appear pregnant?

He wouldn't put it past her, she was human. They did those sorts of things.

Right?

center/center

InuYasha sat atop Kaede's hut and watched the sunset. He had been thinking a lot over the possibilities presented during the battle.

If Kagome were pregnant, he wasn't mad. How could he be? He loved her, even if their love never did seem to get that far. There wasn't much they could do about that.

What bothered him was the idea of it being Sesshomaru. How had she done it? What had changed in that cold bastard to where she would allow it? She had said that he had taught her to defend herself, but she had not been here long enough to learn those things without their knowing where she was.

It had to have been when she went through the well. Could she have met him over there?

He supposed it was possible.

Then he thought of the wish. Kagome knew what he wanted, but he also knew that it would most likely not happen. She wasn't that type of person.

She wanted him to be happy as he was.

Strangely enough, he didn't seem to find that hard to do. He was content with himself.

He just hoped that Kagome knew what she was going to say. Any wrong word could screw things up so bad.

With a sigh he closed his eyes and then shook his head. No.

He would trust her judgment.

center/center

The morning came early, it seemed, or at least for Kagome it did. She rushed out of the hut, racing to get to a clear area.

This was horrible. How could women love this!

She groaned and looked around, then walked to the clearing with the well. This was where they had agreed on for her to make the wish.

She sat, in the same spot she and Sesshomaru had been in that time to be, and she sighed. She missed his presence. He would calm her just by being there before. Now he was gone. Turned into a younger, more inhibited version of himself.

One by one they came to the clearing. InuYasha sat to her right, Miroku and Sango to her left, Shippo and Kohaku before her. She smiled at them all and glanced around, hoping for something.

Then she saw them, golden eyes in the trees, waiting. She smiled and nodded. "I promised." She whispered. She knew he didn't really understand but he seemed to know, somehow.

Looking at the jewel in her hands she sighed.

It was time.

She raised it above her head within her fingertips and closed her eyes. "I, Kagome Higurashi, miko do request the power to grant a wish for the further safekeeping of the shikon no tama."

The jewel pulsed to life and lit with a pure energy that tingled upon her fingers. She smiled slightly and then went over the wish that she had rehearsed. Get it right, Kagome. You promised.

"I, Kagome Higurashi, miko hereby wish that time go back, unraveled and changed, where the man known as Onigumo is born as a full demon and the miko, Kikyo, never receives the shikon jewel."

A spark happened and the jewel burst, remaining within the span of her hands, before it flew within her body, knocking her over.

The others looked at her, shocked, and InuYasha tried to say something but the magic had already taken effect. Everything blurred and Kagome felt herself falling, then she landed on her hands and knees within a puddle in a darkened room.

Tears began to fall from her eyes. It had worked.

She sloshed about in the water, it was cold in here. She guessed there was about two feet of water in here already. It would probably be full by nightfall.

Her hand traced down to her abdomen, lying on her belly softly. There would be no baby now. There would be no Sesshomaru like the man she had mysteriously fallen in love with.

That had been their agreed upon wish. She would lose him for the sake of a pure wish to save his future.

Suddenly she heard a sound. "Sota?" She hoped it was him. The door was opening and sure enough, there stood her brother.

"Jeeze Kagome, you'd think you would have remembered to climb out." She blinked and then felt for the ladder, still secured against the well side. They remembered her! She was home!

She raced up the ladder, rushing over to Sota and gripping him in a hug. "Hey! Aww, come on sis!" But he hugged her back, just as fiercely. "I missed you too."

She was home, finally home for real! She smiled down at Sota before tapping him on the shoulder. "Race you inside!" Then she took off in a run, laughing the entire way as he cried out how unfair she was being for cheating like that.

Looking about the living room Kagome squealed in delight. Nothing had really changed much since she had been gone. Then her mother entered from the kitchen and rushed over to her, gripping her in a hug and kissing her on the head. "My baby is home!"

"Yes, momma. I'm home now. Home for good." 


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten: Alone Time

Kagome sat on her bed and stared out the open window. She wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself now. Go to college, maybe?

That didn't sound very challenging.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees. She had never felt so alone.

InuYasha had probably married Kikyo. Miroku and Sango may not have ever met but she hoped they would, it would certainly be in happier times. Everyone she had met would be changed.

Well. Mostly everyone.

He wouldn't change. He would be himself, regardless of what time threw at him. That was something that she was sure of.

He wouldn't grow into the man she had known, though. Times were different now. He probably was dead by now. A sob escaped her throat at that thought. No. Think positive, Kagome.

You kept your side of the promise, right? He was bound to keep his! Okay, so he had never verbally agreed to it, but it had been unspoken. He would come for her again, sometime.

The question was when.

With a sigh she wrapped a shawl over her shoulders and slipped on some slippers. Perhaps a walk outside would help calm her nerves.

She smiled and walked around, listening to the silence. Sitting on a bench near the god tree she gazed up at the moon, longing for something that could never be. Just as she was beginning to truly enjoy it, someone broke the peace. Music.

The neighbor's were playing music. Rather loudly if she could hear it from here. She was about to stand and go inside when the song changed and she stopped and inhaled sharply.

Not this song. Please.

As the intro began she felt the tears begin to slide down her face and lowered her face into her hands, crumbling in on herself. Why did it have to be this song?

Then she jumped, something had touched her face. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Are you okay?" A voice? She looked up, and saw a man standing there over her.

He was older, probably a good ten years older, but he didn't look that bad. He had blue eyes and long blonde hair, tied up in the back. He was wearing glasses and looked at her with a worried gaze over their rim. Kagome blushed and ran a hand over her hair trying to make herself presentable.

"I.. yes, I'm fine, thank you. I apologize for bothering your summit." She stood, ready to leave but he grasped her hand and she turned to him with a questioning gaze. "Yes?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry. It must be the lighting. I had the strangest sensation that we've met before."

She gasped. Could it be? Smiling she looked up at him and with her free hand, readjusted the shawl over her bare shoulders. "Maybe we have. In another life, perhaps."

The man seemed to smile at this and nodded. "Yes, that must be it. Ah! I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Clay Brice, a nocturnal tourist."

She laughed. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kagome Higurashi, a nocturnal resident." She smirked and he smiled.

"Well, Miss Higurashi, it would be my pleasure if we could spend this evening together. Would you mind?" He motioned towards the seat and she smiled, sitting again before he sat next to her.

They talked for hours, neither removing their eyes from the other. Neither noticing that he still held her hand clasped within his.

center/center

The next day she hadn't heard from him, even though they had exchanged information. She supposed it was probably because they had stayed up so late.

She smiled and pranced downstairs, laughing at her mother's odd gaze. "What?"

Her mother shook her head and smiled. "You seem happy. I'm glad."

Kagome was about to say something when the phone rang. Rushing over to it she answered it, but was for her mother. "Expecting a call?" Her mother had sarcastically asked as she took the phone.

The girl huffed and went into the kitchen. Her mind did a flashback on her and she recalled Sesshomaru, standing there in the 'kiss the cook' apron and blue jean shorts, cooking her breakfast. She sighed a little and picked up an apple off the counter.

She would miss that man so much.

Absently she twirled a hair around her finger while she munched on her apple and watched the tourists go by. Clay was different. He had told her that he was coming to Japan for some 'leisure time' because his business partners felt he never went out enough.

They had chosen Japan by tacking a huge world map to the wall and then having him throw a dart while blindfolded. His friends told him that it had been a dead mark. She laughed at the disbelieving look on his face as he told the story. Then she had asked what it was that he did for a living.

He explained to her how he owned a large wildlife reserve and some ranch land out in western Nevada. He had waved a hand around at the green scenery, explaining how he was so impressed with it. They had nothing like this at home.

She smiled; it had been a great conversation. They had so much in common that it surprised her to no end. She seemed to know him so well!

Then he had left, giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking off and leaving her there. The music had long since died but somehow, sitting there with him had made her forget it.

Now, here she stood, in her kitchen and wondering just where this was all going.

center/center

Clay grumbled aloud as he held his cell before him. "Stupid piece of junk! What do you mean 'no signal available'?" People around him stared at him and he glared at them before turning down the street.

He had been trying to call her all day. But his phone didn't seem to want to cooperate. So here he was, walking up the street to her house again. He wasn't sure why he was drawn to her. They had barely met but somehow he felt as if he had known her in so many ways before.

This girl was not going to escape him. If he had to pay for another visa just to see her one day, he would.

Taking the stairs up to the shrine he sighed when he saw how packed it was. How did these people walk? He turned to make sure nobody was looking and then stepped over the threshold of the stairs and into the trees. He ran up the hillside, darting over the rocks and branches that would be in his way. He had always been good at these sorts of athletic moves.

Once he reached the top he stepped over the rope fence and smiled at some tourists who glared at him. Not his fault they were too stupid to take a shortcut.

He walked up to the house and rang the doorbell, hoping this was not an inappropriate way to call. Customs were so different here. A woman answered the door and she looked at him oddly for a moment before asking him what he needed.

"Yes. My name is Clay Brice. Is Kagome in?" The woman's gaze turned sharp as she looked him up and down. She nodded and he stepped in, removing his shoes and then standing in the living room.

He watched her go up the stairs, wondering why this girl's house even seemed familiar, and heard her speak to someone at the top. "Kagome. There's a man for you downstairs. He says his name is Clay.." She never finished.

Kagome raced down the stairs and they stood, awkward for a moment before she launched herself at him, hugging him fiercely. "I thought you were gone." He reached around her, feeling the need to comfort her, and held her to him while running his hand over her hair.

"No, Kagome, I won't leave you." She smiled up at him and he returned the gaze, somehow this woman was worth everything to him. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven: Time to Come Clean

Kagome's trembling hand went up to her face, covering her openly shocked mouth as she stared down at him. Suddenly, time sped up again and she burst into action, jumping into his arms as she screamed out for the world to hear. "Yes! Yes!"

He twirled her around, laughing with her as his and her family applauded. Clay Brice was the happiest man alive. Kagome had just agreed to be his wife.

Since their meeting he had lived in Japan for nearly three years, waiting out until her mother had trusted him enough with her daughter so that he could take her to America. They had flown to his home and she stayed with him for another three years, getting to know one another and each other's family. 

They had never even kissed.

He didn't court her.

It didn't seem to matter to them, they were happy being around each other just as they were. It was one of the very unique and special things about Kagome that made him love her even more; her acceptance of him and how he did things.

Sometimes he wondered if she had some sort of magical knowledge about him. She seemed to know how he liked things done before he mentioned it. Other times, he felt the tables were turned and it was he doing things for her.

Neither of them questioned it. Happiness comes so rarely and they were not about to argue the gift they had been blessed.

But today, after the engagement celebration, Kagome had told him that there was something they needed to talk about. It sounded serious. She was rarely serious. center/center

He found her sitting in her bedroom, looking out at the sunset with a wistful smile. How beautiful she was to him, he would never be able to express. He gently knocked on the door frame. "Kagome? You said we needed to talk?"

She jumped a little, surprised by his arrival, but smiled at him and nodded, gesturing to the bed for him to sit with her. He did and she sighed, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Um… Clay, there's something I need to tell you. Something I haven't told anyone before but it's something I think you need to know about me."

He nodded, waiting for her to continue and she sighed, biting her lip a little. Why was it so hard to tell him this? Because he might leave you, Kagome, that's why. She frowned a little and shook her head. No. Be brave.

"Well. You know where I live. When I was fifteen something unusual happened. I was on my way to school and my brother Sota called to me, telling me that the cat was in the well-house. It held a dried up abandoned well in it, and he was nervous and afraid to go in there. I was rather reckless in those days so instead of thinking about it I went in, calling for Buyo. I can't remember if I saw the cat anymore. The next thing I know there was a mysterious blue aura coming from the well and then a centipede youkai was on me, mumbling something about a jewel. I fought, of course, but my struggling was no good and eventually the youkai had me within its grasps, taking me into the well."

She smiled a little and turned to look outside again, watching the sun. "The well was a time portal. Next I knew we were outside somewhere, near the well but in a place that was not familiar to me. The youkai lost its grip and tore the side of my flesh out. From my wound fell a pink bauble that would completely alter and determine my future. I later learned that this was called the Shikon no Tama, The Jewel of Four Souls. Unfortunately, the youkai continued to attack me and I ran, coming across a boy pinned to a tree. A boy in a red haori with dog ears atop his head, in a permanent slumber."

Clay fidgeted a little and shifted on the bed, still listening but looking a little nervous. He didn't say anything so she continued. "There was an arrow pinning him to the tree, and I could see the magical aura surrounding he and it, binding them forever. I was so scared. I pulled the arrow from within his chest and it disappeared into nothing as my fingers caressed it. He woke, and there was where my adventures with the hanyou InuYasha, a half human and half inu youkai boy began."

"In a foolish movement I shattered the shikon. Fragments of the jewel rained everywhere and eventually they moved so far to the ends of Japan that we had to search high and low for them. During this time we had competition from another hanyou, Naraku. A man who was born into the life of thievery only to wish himself to be full demon so he could possess a woman that would never be his, Kikyo; a priestess of the highest esteem. She was both beautiful and skilled, and many sought her services. Unfortunately for the thief she was already being courted by the young InuYasha. So the thief sold his soul to the demons and in exchange he created a hell-on-earth for anyone he felt amusing enough to do so."

"Time passed and we traveled. InuYasha and I grew very close. I loved him very much and he loved me, but we were never more than friends. We met Miroku, a funny but perverted monk who was cursed by Naraku. We met Sango, a beautiful and strong demon slayer whose entire clan was destroyed by Naraku. And little Shippo, a fox kit who's family was killed before he could do more than protect himself. They all touched my life in such a way that I could never forget them so much."

"However, one day we came across a man. The man was attacked by a youkai and died, leaving no apprentice to his cause. His cause was the separation of Youkai and Human societies. By then, nobody was there to pass on his ideas." She sighed and lowered her gaze, staring at her hands in her lap. "That night I returned home, through the well and through time, only to find that time had been altered. In this odd time difference Youkai still lived but they were slaves to humans, bound to them through subduing spells." Clay shivered slightly and shook his head.

"That sounds horrible." Kagome nodded, a tear escaping her eyes.

"While I was there, the woman that was my mother bought me a youkai. I could choose any one I wanted but when I found this particular one I knew there could be no other choice. I knew him. He was InuYasha's older half-brother and the lord of the western province. I knew so little else about him. Only that he was there and that he was the only solid figure in the growing madness around me. So I clung to him."

She bit her lip again and her hands clenched tighter, whitening her knuckles. "But he did not push me away. He held me in return, in his own way. When he learned of whom I was and where I was from he sought out to right the wrongs that had been; even if it meant destroying everything; his future, the youkai existence, our love, everything for the sake of the truth." A sob raced from her throat and Kagome could not help herself but cover her mouth with her hand, unable to stop it.

"I did love him! I loved him so much!" Clay reached for her, trying to wrap his arms around her and comfort her but she held up her hand and shook her head. "When the time came I left, the well was already half full. It had taken me a while to figure out that was the sign that that time period was no longer available to me. You cannot fall into a pool of water the way you do into an empty pit."

She sighed and looked even more broken, if at all possible. "It came time to face Naraku. We were all there. Even he was there. But none of it changed anything. My fury that was what had done it. I had learned that I was pregnant." Clay's blue eyes widened at this information and he looked completely shocked. "Their gross comments about my pregnancy and my child upset me, but that was not what infuriated me. It was the idea that I would have to give it up for them. My child, the only memory of my lost love, would have to be sacrificed. I would have nothing left of them for the sake of the future."

"I rescued everyone's future but my own. I defeated Naraku and made my wish upon the jewel. A wish that would have Naraku born as a youkai instead of a thief, so that he would be at peace with himself enough to live his life without the need for the shikon. And a wish that would have the priestess Kikyo never to find the jewel… so that I, too, would never receive it and time could not repeat." Her breathing shuddered and she leaned over, laying her head against his shoulder. He reached up and ran a hand over her hair.

"When I came back I had nothing but my family and this time. Then you found me. Sitting on that bench, crying my heart out for my pity, and you saved me. You rescued me." She smiled at him and he smiled back.

She looked about to say something and he silenced her with and shake of his head. "Kagome. I understand." She inhaled sharply, surprised. He didn't think she was crazy? He laughed a little. "Honey, we know you're crazy. Stop questioning it. What I mean is, I understand. When I was a boy I had dreams. My mother said they were very detailed and that often I would wake up screaming. I still have them sometimes but I never remember them as much."

He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and burying his head into her hair. "In those dreams I lost people I loved very much. I felt that I was very powerful and should be able to stop it, but I never could." He stood, walking out of the room only to return with a small sketchbook. "As I got older and the dreams progressed into more visual detail I practiced drawing what I saw so that I could remember better. I had never really looked at them until I met you, back in Japan, and the images came back."

Opening the book he smiled as he flipped through a few pages before turning one towards Kagome for her to see. "Oh my god." She couldn't say any more, too in shock from what she saw. There on the left side was her face, slightly different, mostly younger and a little bit more angry than normal but it was her. On the right was Sesshomaru. Not the lord of the west, no, this was him… the man she had loved so passionately there within the well-house.

Her body shook with sobs and she began to fall but Clay threw the book aside and pulled her to him, whispering to her nothing in particular. "Kagome. I might not remember but I never forgot."

She couldn't stop crying. He sighed and shook his head. "Silly woman! Don't you ever give up?" She looked at him curious, tears still streaming down her face, and he sighed. Leaning down he reached his hand around the back of her head and pulled her up to him, kissing her.

Kagome felt her soul cry out in joy. This kiss… it was so familiar. Gentle and giving but requesting; Sesshomaru! It really was him! Her arms wrapped around him and she returned this kiss, passionate and hard.

He had kept his promise to her. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve: Time after Time

Everyone stood, staring down the little alley made of chairs, watching for her to arrive. She did not disappoint them. Coming around the side of the home she had grew up in; Kagome stepped out into the light of the afternoon day.

The crowed gasped and awed at her beauty. Today, Kagome was a bride. Tonight, Kagome would be a wife.

Beyond the sheen veil that covered her face all could see the beaming smile that covered her face. Nobody knew how exactly the two were a match, just that they were so in love that it could never be denied.

Kagome's grandfather stepped up to her, pulling up the veil to kiss her face before lowering it and offering his arm. She smiled at him and took his arm, ready to follow him. As they walked, about halfway through the aisle she stopped, gently pressing against her grandfather's arm, before she stepped away from him and to the large god tree there.

She pressed her hand against the tree and smiled, knowing that a certain dog eared boy had never been pinned to it. "Goodbye, my friends; until we meet again." Barely a whisper, nobody needed to hear this final blessing of hers.

Turning she stepped back up to her grandfather, laced her arm in his, and allowed him to carry her to her destiny. center/center

Clay looked down at his new bride with a curious expression. "Why this song?" He asked. She smiled at him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"It's our song by default." She said cryptically. He didn't remember but she did. The song playing hauntingly when he had first made love to her in the well house, in that time never to be. It playing distantly when he had found her again, alone on the bench, and rescued her again; she couldn't help but be sentimental about it.

Somehow, within her heart, she felt this song really was a sign. Perhaps… it had been how Sesshomaru had felt about her so long ago.

Something he could never express verbally. But he never let her down, regardless.

He really was her hero.

center/center

The sweltering heat of the outdoors was too much for her. Kagome sighed and got out, if only to assess the damage done.

Stupid vehicle! She had always hated driving, especially after that one incident. But this was important and now she was going to be late for her appointment!

Kicking the already flat tire she cried out. She didn't know how to change a flat! Turning she held her hand above her eyes, blocking as much of the sun from her face as she could. Maybe there was somebody around who could help her?

Sure enough a car was driving down the remote road as she stood there, stranded and hopeful. Kagome watched as the vehicle stopped, pulling over behind hers, and two people climbed out.

A woman and a man, the man was the first to greet her, smiling at her and holding out a hand in a welcome gesture. "Good afternoon, my lady, you seem to have come across some trouble." Kagome couldn't help the de-ja vu she felt from this man. Turning to the woman who was assessing the car's damage she felt the same thing. For a moment, Kagome simply stared at them both, looking them over. The man was tall and slender, dark black hair and laughing brown eyes. His companion was a striking beauty with chestnut colored hair that trailed down her backside and bright green eyes that shone with spirit. 

Kagome shook her head, it must be the heat. Smiling she held out her hand to the man, taking his to shake and introduced herself. "Hello. My name is Kagome Brice. Yes, I'm afraid that I got this flat and now I'm going to be late. Do either of you know how to change a tire?"

The woman had already disappeared to the other side of their vehicle and Kagome could see that she was getting something from the rear. The man smiled and nodded. "Sure, Azuka knows, she can do anything. Can't you my pet?" He grinned at the woman who was now coming back with a jack and a tire iron.

Kagome noticed the woman, Azuka, scowl at the man before shaking her head. "Are you two here on business? We don't get many tourists around here."

The man shook his head, no, and smiled. "Actually we are but we aren't. We just moved here. Azuka and I are opening a restaurant in the area. We fell in love with the scenery. Oh! Forgive me. My name is Hara Masato. This lovely mechanic here" He pointed to the woman who was tightening the new tire onto the car. "Is my fiancée, Azuka."

Kagome smiled. "Well, allow me to welcome you to the area. Please! Allow me to invite you to my home for dinner tonight as repayment for your help." She quickly pulled out a pen and paper, jotting down the address and her cell number. Tearing it out of the small notebook she handed the paper to the man, Hara, and smiled. He reminded her of somebody.

Azuka stood, brushing her hands clean of the dirt before lifting her tools and smiling at Kagome. Then something struck her. Sango? This woman looked so much like her when she smiled. Kagome shook the feeling away and the woman spoke. "Well, miss, it looks like you should be okay now. Good luck with your appointment. Be sure to drink some water soon. In your condition and all it's not good to be out in this heat long without fluid."

Kagome blushed and nodded, watching as they walked away and then drove off into the distance. Placing a hand on her very swollen belly she couldn't help but laugh. Things were going to be all right.

Fin 


End file.
